Spring-hinge.



Patented lan. 28, |902. M. C. BERSTED.

SPmNG HINGE.

(Application led June 21, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

lllllllllllllll ummm www MII/101011,

MARTIN O. BERSTED,

SPRING PATENT OEEIcE.

OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HINGE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,838, dated January 28, 1902.

Application filed June 21, 1900.

T0 1f/ZZ whom it may concer-n.:

Be it known that I, MARTIN C. BERsTED, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Hinges, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

Myinvention relates to spring-hinges generally, but more particularly to that class of sprin g-hin ges employed for swinging doors or doors which open in both directions; and it has for its primary object to provide an improved construction of hinge which may be embedded in the floor or any other convenient surface and connected with the edge ofthe door in such a manner as to at once serve the twofold purpose of a hinge or pivot for the door and a spring for -returning the door to its normal position with reference to the door jamb or casing.

Another object of my invention is to provide improved means `for varying the normal position or angularity of the door with relation to the spring and independently of the spring, so that should the door fail to accurately register with -the door-jamb or with the edge of the companion door it may be adjusted without increasing or decreasing the tension of the spring until it is in the correct position.

A still further object of my invention is to provide means for hinging the upper end of the door which will avoid the excessive wear due to the lateral strain fof the door against the pintle of the hinge, thereby enabling the door to swing more freely and preventing it from sagging outof alinement with the doorjamb or with the companion door.

With these ends in view my invention consists in certain features of novelty in the con- Y struction, combination, and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects hereinafter appearing are attained, all as fully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the said drawings, Figure 1 is an elevationk of, a door provided with my improvement. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sectional view of the upper edge or end of the door and apart of the jamb, showing the improved means for hinging the upper end of Serial No. 21,041. (No model.)

the door. Fig. 3 is a section thereof taken on the line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional View of the lower corner of the door and my improved spring mechanism socketed inthe fioor. Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of the spring mechanism, showing certain interior parts in elevation. Fig. 6 is a similarview looking atright angles to the device asit appears in Fig. 5. Fig. 7isatransverse section taken on the line 7 7, Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is atransverse section taken on the line 8 S, Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a detail transverse section taken ou the line 9 9, Fig. 4. Fig. l0 is a plan View of a blank from which the sleeve hereinafter described is formed. Fig. 10a is an edge view thereof. Fig. 11 is a perspective view of said sleeve. Fig. 12 is a horizon tal sectional view taken on the line 12 l2, Fig. 1, showing the means for adjusting the door; and Fig. 13 is a rear edge elevation thereof.

l represents the swinging door, and 2 a door-jamb, to the upper edge of which the door may be hinged in any suitable manner, but preferably by meansotl a pintle3, which is formed on a plate 4, secured to the door by screws 5 or other suitable means, and which pintle 3 projects upwardly into a socket or cup 6, formed on a similar plate 7,l secured to the jamb of the door by screws 8. The pintle 3 is provided with an annular ball groove or race in which are arranged a num--` ber of balls 9, which are held in place by and bear against the sides of the sleeve 6, so that the lateral strain or tendency of the door to sag will be borne by the balls 9 and the wear on the pintle 3 thus reduced to the minimum. The sleeve 6 is socketed in the jamb, and the pintle 3 is held from pulling downwardly out of the socket 6 by means of a cap 10, which overlaps the end of the sleeve 6 and is secured to the pintle 3 by screw 11 or other suitable device. f

The lower edge of the door, at a point'in axial alinement with the pintle 3, is hinged or supported upon a spindle 12, having a prodownwardly into a floor socket or casing 13, embedded in the floor and having a lateral flange 14. surrounding its upper edge, which may also be embedded in the iioor flush there with and heldin place by means of screws 15 or other suitable devices. This socket 13 jecting upper end 12c and which projects Ico forms a housing for the spring mechanism which I shall presently describe, and the top of the socket is closed by a cap-plate 16, whose outer edges are also preferably flush with the iioor, but whose upper face is convexed, as clearly shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 6, so that water and dirt will be prevented from entering the socket 13. The cap-plate 16 is recessed in the flange 14, as shown in said Figs. 4, 5, and 6, and secured thereto by screws or other suitable devices 17.

The socket 13, which is preferably formed of sheet metal pressed or stamped in the desired shaped, is provided in its bottom with a pivot 18, formed by drawing up the metal, as clearly shown in Fig. 4, and the lower end of the spindle 12 :is formed with a cup 19, which lits over the pivot 18 and rests upon a series of antifriction-balls 20, interposed in a suitable race 21, formed around the upper edge of the pivot 18. By this means the spindle 12 is journaled at its lower end, and being lixed to the door at its upper end and in axial alinement With the pintle 3 it will be held in its proper vertical position during the rotation of the door upon its hinges, which are constituted by the spindle 12 and the pintle 3.

Secured to or formed on the spindle 12 is a flange 22, which is provided on its upper side with a lug 23 and on its lower side with a lug 24. This flange and said lugs are preferably formed by lneans of two disks, each of which has one of the lugs 23 24 struck up on the edge thereof, and after which the disks are pushed together back to back on the spindle 12 and held by lugs 25, serving as keys, or other suitable devices, with the edge of one lug 23 preferably in line with the edge of the other lug 24, as better shown in Fig. 6, the lugs 25 being bent into the keyways 12b in the spindle, as shown in Fig. 9.

Surrounding the spindle 12 at a point below the flange 22 is a collar 26, which is provided on its upper edge with a lower lug 27, adapted to be engaged by the lug 24 on the flange 22, and is also formed with an enlarged lateral flange 28,0n the bottom of which is formed or secured a pendent lug 29, arranged to engage with a stop or lug 30, formed in the bottom of the socket 13, preferably by drawing up the metal, as shown in the drawings, the collar 26 being held from settling to the bottom of the socket 13 by the flange 28, resting on the lug 30.

Arranged over and resting upon the iiange 22 is a sleeve 31, which fits around the spindle 12 and is provided at its lower end with a laterally-extending lug 2, arranged inline with and adapted to be engaged by the upper lug 23 on the liange 22, and inserted over and journaled on the sleeve 31 is a second upper collar 33, Whose lower end is provided with an enlarged flange 34, like the flange 28, and these two llanges 28 34 are provided with peripheral notches 35 36, respectively, for the engagement of the upper and lower ends of a coil-spring 37, a plurality of said notches being employed merely for the purpose of convenience in finding a proper adjustment for the spring. The upper end of the upper collar 33 is provided With a series of teeth 38, as better shown in Figs. 5 and (i, which engage with a corresponding series of teeth on a ring 39, slipped over the upper end of the sleeve 31, and secured to the sleeve so as to revolve therewith by means of one or more pins 40, which pass through the ring 39 and engage in vertical openings 41, formed in the sleeve 31, whereby the ring 39 may be moved longitudinally of the sleeve 31 for causing its teeth to disengage the teeth 38, but will be compelled to rotate with the sleeve 31 and to impart the motion of said sleeve to the upper collar 33, and consequently to the upper end of the spring 37. The sleeve 31, at a point just above the flange 34, is provided with a second lug 42, which is adapted to engage with a stop or lug 43, formed on or secured to the bottom of the cap-plate 16 for limiting the rotation of the sleeve 31 in one direction, and consequently limiting the rotation oi' the upper collar 33 in that direction, the stop 30 being adapted to limit the rotation of the lower collar 26 in the opposite direction. For convenience in putting the members of the device together the flange 34 is provided with an aperture 44, so that the flange 34 may be passed downwardly over the lug 42 on the sleeve 31, the flange of the upper collar 33 being located at a point between the lugs 32 42 on the sleeve 31.

The purpose of the toothed connection between the upper collar 33 and the ring 39, connected with the sleeve 31, is to provide for Varying the tension of the spring 37, which may be accomplished by raising the toothed ring 39 out of engagement with the teeth 38 of the upper collar 33, and then turning the upper collar 33 on the sleeve 31 in the proper IOO IIO

direction by means of any suitable key or a v nail inserted in any one of anumber ot' sockets 45 in the upper collar 33 until the desired tension is attained, whereupon the toothed ring 39 may be let down into engagement with the teeth 38 for holding the parts at the proper adjustment, the ring 39, if desired, being also provided with one or more sockets 4G for the insertion of a pin to facilitate lifting the ring out of engagement with the teeth 38.

In order that the spring 37 may retain its form and be prevented from unduly twisting at its mid-length, I locate within the same a barrel 47, which is of sufficient length to project from one of the flanges 28 34 to the other and surrounds the flange 22. At its midlength it may be slightly reduced in dialneter, as shown at 48, so as to permit the intermediate convolutions of the spring to contract. The projecting upper end of the spindle 12 is flattened on one side, as shown at 12a, and secured in a socketpiece 49, arranged on the lower edge of the door, as will be hereinafter more fully described, andthe upper end of the other Words, to permit the upper collar 33 to be revolved with reference to the lug 42 when taking up the tension of the spring, the lug 42 at other times during the operation of the y device maintaininga iiXed relation to the upper collar 33. With this construction it will be seen that the normal tensionof the spring will hold the lug 42 against the stop 43 at the top of the socket 13 and-the lug 29 against the stop 30 at the bottom ofsaid socket, and when the door is opened, resulting in turning the spindle 12, the lug 23 on the spindle 12 will push the lug 32 on lthe sleeve 31 toward the left and contract the spring, moving the lug 42 awayfrom the stop 43. When the door is released, the spring will return the parts to their normal position, and the momentum of the door will carry the spindle 12 backward past its normal position, causing the lug 24 thereon to push the lug 27 on the lower collar 26 toward the right and in doing so contract the lower end of the spring. When the momentum of the door is overcome by the spring, thev spring returns the parts to their normal position, (shown in Fig. 6,) with the lug 29 resting against the stop 30.

In Figs. 10 and 11 of the drawings I have shown a blank for the production ofthe sleeve 31 with its lugs 32 42 formed thereon and the openings 41 for the pins 40 formed in the end thereof. This blank, as clearly shown in Fig. 10, consists of a sheet of metal or other suitable material 51, upon the lower edge of which is Vformed a tongue or projection 52, in the upper edge of which are formed two openings 53, while at one end a tongue 54 is struck out and turned down at right angles to the plane ofthe plate 51, as shown in Fig. 10%v In converting this blank into the sleeve shown in perspective in Fig. 11 the plate 51 is curved around to form a cylinder, the projection 52 is turned outwardly at an angle to the face of the plate 51 to form the bottom lug 32, the tongue 54 constituting the upper lug 42, and the opening 55 formed by bending out the tongue 54 is closed by a tongue 56, formed on the opposite end of the plate 51. The openings 53 are arranged at such distance apart as to come diametrically opposite each other when the plate 51 is bent into a cylindrical form, so that they constitute the openings 41 in the upper end of the sleeve, the cylindrical part ot' the plate 51 constituting the sleeve proper.

The socket-piece 49 is provided with a socket.

57, which is complementary in shape to the beveled end 12c of the spindle 12, and is adapted to support the door upon said spindle and at the same time cause the spindle to rotate against the inertia of the spring when the door is opened. This socket-piece 49 has pivotal connection with the door at a point eccentric kto the spindle 12, and consequently the door is virtually pivotally supported on the spin-4 dle 12 on an axis eccentric to the axis of saidv spindle. The purpose of this is to enable the angularity of the door to be altered with reference to the spring or to the spindle 12 when in normal position, thus providing means for adjusting the door with reference to its companion door or to the jainb independently of the spring. The specific mechanism for accomplishing this consists of the socket-piece 49, which is pivoted on the upper side of a flange 58 formed on the lower edge of -a plate 59, which is secured tothe side of the door, the flange 58 projecting under the edgevof the door, so as to hold the socket-piece 49 between the flange and the door. 60 is the pivot on which the socket-piece 49 turns and which is riveted or otherwise secured in the 'flange 58. The liange 58 is provided at each end with a turned-up boss 6l, and in each end of the socket-piece 49 is threaded a set-screw 62, one end of each of which is adapted to abut against oneof the bosses 61, while the other end is arranged opposite a hole 63 in the plate 59, so as to be accessible by a screw-driver or other device for turning theY screw 62, and thereby turning the socket-piece 49 on its pivot 60, one of the screws 62 being turned out while theother is turned in. The socket-piece 49 is also held and rendered more rigid by screws plate 59 is located and threadedin the socketpiece 49, as clearly shown in Fig. 12.

Having thus described my invention, what `I claim as new therein, and desire to secure by Letters .Paten t, is-

IOO

1. The combination of a casing having lower and upper stops, a spindle pivoted in the casing, a liange having upper and lower lugs and secured to the spindle, a lower collar tting around the spindle having an upper lug so ar-f ranged as to be engaged by the lowery lug of the flange, and a lower lug so arranged asto engage with the lower stop of the casing, a sleeve fitting around the spindle above the liange thereof having a lower lug so arranged as to be engaged by the upper `lug of the flange, and an upper lug so 'arranged as to engage with the upper stop of the casin'g, an upper collar fitting around the sleeveand connected therewith, a coil-sprin g surrounding the spindle and having onev end secured to the lower collar and its other end secured to the,

upper collar, and a barrel slightly reduced at its mid-length, fitted between the collars andv located between the spindle and the spring for sustaining thelatter.

2. The combination of a'casingha-vinglower and upper stops, a spindle pivoted inthe casing, having longitudinal keyways, a `iange composed of two disks, each having a lug struck up from the edge thereof, arrangedy back to back and formed with key-lugs bent into the keyways, a lowercollar iittin g around the spindle having an upper lug so arranged as to be engaged by the lower lugof the flange, and a lower lug so arranged as to engage with the lower stop of the casing, a sleeve fitting around the spindle above theV ange thereof having a lower lug so arranged as to be engaged by the upper lug of the liange, and an upper lug so arranged as to engage with the upper stop ofthe casing, an upper collar fitting around the sleeve connected therewith, and a coil-spring surrounding the spindle having one end secured to the lower collar and its other end secured to the upper collar.

3. The combination of a casinghavinglower and upper stops, a spindle pivoted in the casing, a -iange having upper and lower lugs and secured to the spindle, a lower collar iitting around the spindle, having a lateral flange provided with an upper lug so arranged as to be engaged by the lower lug of the spindleiiange, and a lower lug so arranged as to engage with the lower stop of the casing, a sleeve formed with vertical openings and fitting around the spindle, above the spindlelange and having a lower lug so arranged as to be engaged by the upper lug of the spindle-ange, and an upper lug so arranged as to engage with the upper stop of the casing,an upper e0llar,iitting around the sleeve, having alateral flange, and series of teeth on its upper end, a ring having a series of teeth meshing with the teeth on the upper collar, pins connecting the ring with the vertical openings in the sleeve, and a coil-spring surrounding the spindle having one end secured to the lower collar and its other end secured to the upper collar.

4. A sleeve-blank formed integral with a lower tongue, with open-ings in its upper edge,

a tongue severed from one end of the blank to provide an opening and a tongue at the other end of the blank adapted to close the end opening.

5. A sleeve formed integral from a blank, with a lower outwardly-projecting tongue, an upper outwardly-projecting tongue providing an opening and a tongue closing the opening over the upper tongue.

6. The combination of a door and its frame of a 'pivot-hinge comprising in its construetion a plate forined with an integral pivot-pin having an annular ball-groove and adapted to be secured to the upper edge of the door, a plate formed with an integral cup into which the pivot-pin projects, and adapted to be seated in a socket in the under side of the lintel of the door-frame, antifriction-balls located in said annular groove a cap overlapping said cup, and means for securing the cap to the pivot-pin, substantially as described.

MARTIN C. BERSTED.

WVitnesses:

F. A. HOPKINS, EDNA B. JOHNSON. 

